BY ORDER OF THE SHAH

to question. This argument runs that although the
Persian Government of the past accepted the treaty of
Erzerum and the protocol, her parliament did not ratify
the right of Turkey to discuss the matter. To meet the
situation an international court was proposed by Italy,
of all people; but neither 'Iraq nor Iran fell for the idea,
'Iraq harping upon her legal position, Iran pleading right
of custom.

If we take the common-sense view, despite the vagaries
of diplomats and their treaties, a boundary naturally follows
the centre of a line of hills or the middle of a river. A
compromise is possible. Why not sell the water to a
private company, like the Suez Canal ?

As another solution, Iran could open up the Bahmashir
river and divert all her shipping from the Shatt. But
the heavy cost, and the time and experience necessary
before so vast an undertaking could be effective, would
certainly count against the project.

The Shah is not the man to stop at trifles.

The country's internal problems are capable of solution,
and are at least in the hands of a man with the will
to make as much as anyone of his resources. Without
national debt, exports and imports balanced, luxuries
taxed almost out of sight, and the people disciplined
to endure a standard of living we can scarcely con-
template, Iran has a future while Riza sits upright
upon the throne. Knock him off, or let him fall off
when he grows older, and the crash will come. That is
the price of dictatorship. Fortunately his son, educated
in Switzerland, shows promise. It seems to please the
Riza Shah to train him for kingship.

Lady Ravensdale, "the very handsome offspring of
one who was England's great and eminent orator and
statesman," as His Excellency the Iranian Minister in
London described her and her illustrious father, Lord
Curzon, read a most interesting paper before the distin-

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